Unit 3 APUSH Study Guide

Thanks class of 2025

Great Britain

The country that attempted to restructure its North American empire after the French and Indian War, leading to colonial resistance.

American Revolution

A monumental event that resulted in the independence of the American colonies and the establishment of a new republic.

Articles of Confederation

The first governing document of the United States that created a weak central government; it was later replaced by the Constitution.

Salutary Neglect

An unofficial British policy of relaxed enforcement of trade regulations on the American colonies prior to the French and Indian War.

Stamp Act of 1765

A direct tax imposed by Great Britain on the colonies, leading to widespread protests and the rallying cry of 'No taxation without representation'.

Virtual Representation

The British theory that members of Parliament represented all British subjects, regardless of whether they could vote.

The Federalist Papers

A series of essays written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay promoting the ratification of the Constitution.

Three-Fifths Compromise

Agreement during the Constitutional Convention that counted three-fifths of a state's slave population for representation and taxation purposes.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution that guarantee individual liberties and limit government power.

Proclamation of 1763

A British proclamation restricting colonial expansion west of the Appalachian Mountains following the French and Indian War.

Pontiac's Rebellion

A conflict between Native Americans and British settlers in 1763, leading to British restrictions on colonial expansion.

Common Sense

A pamphlet by Thomas Paine advocating for American independence from Great Britain.

XYZ Affair

A diplomatic incident between France and the United States that led to the Quasi-War, characterized by a demand for bribes from the French.

Neutrality Act of 1793

Legislation passed by Congress giving the President the power to declare U.S. neutrality in foreign conflicts.

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

A landmark Supreme Court case that established the principle of judicial review.

Republican Motherhood

The idea that women had an important role in shaping the morals of the new republic, particularly through educating their children.

Federalism

The division of powers between the national government and state governments established by the Constitution.

Shays's Rebellion

An armed uprising in 1786-1787 by farmers in Massachusetts protesting economic injustices, demonstrating the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

Treaty of Paris (1783)

The agreement that officially ended the American Revolutionary War and recognized American independence.

Daughters of Liberty

Group of women who organized boycotts of British goods and supported the Patriot cause during the American Revolution.

Sons of Liberty

A secret organization of American colonists that resisted British taxation and supported the Patriot cause.

Tea Act of 1773

British legislation that reduced taxes on tea but led to colonial resistance and the Boston Tea Party.

Gaspee Affair

A 1772 incident in which American colonists boarded and burned a British revenue schooner, exemplifying colonial resistance.

Fort Necessity

A makeshift fort built by British colonists near Fort Duquesne, marking an early confrontation in the French and Indian War.

Fort Duquesne

A French fort located at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers, significant in the French and Indian War.

Boston Massacre

A confrontation in 1770 in which British soldiers killed five colonists, fueling anti-British sentiment.

First Continental Congress

A gathering of colonial delegates in 1774 to organize resistance against British policies.

Second Continental Congress

The assembly that managed the colonial war effort during the American Revolution and adopted the Declaration of Independence.

Louis XVI

The French king whose execution during the French Revolution raised concerns about the implications of revolutionary ideas.

Thomas Jefferson

The principal author of the Declaration of Independence and the third President of the United States.

Alexander Hamilton

The first Secretary of the Treasury who advocated for a strong central government and the establishment of a national bank.

John Locke

Enlightenment thinker whose ideas on natural rights and government greatly influenced American revolutionary thought.

Montesquieu

French philosopher whose ideas on separation of powers influenced the Constitution.

Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists

The two opposing groups during the ratification debates of the Constitution, with Federalists supporting a strong central government and Anti-Federalists advocating for states' rights.

Treaty of Greenville (1795)

An agreement following the Battle of Fallen Timbers where various Native American tribes ceded land in Ohio to the U.S. government.

Haiti

The first Black republic in the Americas, which gained independence from France in 1804, inspired in part by the American Revolution.

Coercive Acts

Also known as the Intolerable Acts, these laws were punitive measures against Massachusetts in response to the Boston Tea Party.

Land Ordinance of 1785

Legislation that established a systematic process for surveying and selling land in the Northwest Territory.

First Amendment

Constitutional amendment that guarantees freedoms concerning religion, expression, assembly, and the right to petition.

Crispus Attucks

An African American man killed during the Boston Massacre, often regarded as the first martyr of the American Revolution.

Whiskey Rebellion

A 1794 uprising of farmers in Pennsylvania against the federal excise tax on whiskey, demonstrating the conflict between rural interests and federal authority.

Labor Movement

A campaign addressing issues of workers' rights, pay, and working conditions that emerged in response to industrialization.

American System

Economic plan proposed by Henry Clay in the early 19th century that aimed to promote industry, national banking, and internal improvements.

Manifest Destiny

The 19th-century belief that the expansion of the United States throughout the American continents was both justified and inevitable.

Enlightenment

An intellectual movement in the 17th and 18th centuries that emphasized reason and individualism, influencing revolutionary thought.

Iroquois Confederacy

A group of Native American nations in North America that played a strategic role during the French and Indian War.

Gaspee Conspiracy

A protest against British customs enforcement and an example of growing colonial resistance leading up to the Revolution.

The Great Awakening

A religious revival in the American colonies during the 18th century that emphasized personal faith and challenged established churches.